5 Players Dallas Cowboys Should Look to Trade

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Adam Schefter reported this past weekend that the Dallas Cowboys are in rough shape with their salary cap. What better way to rid yourself of excess salary than trading away some high priced players who aren’t playing up to their contract or who simply don’t play at all.

Now I’m sure the Cowboys have some quality players that other teams would like, but are afraid to trade for due to high priced contracts. That likely means Jerry Jones is going to have to pony up and pay a portion of any high paid player’s contract in order to rid the team of any player that fits the criteria. If Jerry agreed to pay the portion of a player’s contract that would be equal to the cap hit Dallas would take in cutting that same player, I imagine that would make most teams happy and allow Dallas some wiggle room to make trades if needed.

Obviously the Cowboys have some untouchables that just can’t be traded because they’re just too important to the future in Dallas. $100 million man Tony Romo, wide receiver Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and defensive end DeMarcus Ware are just prime examples of great players that can’t and won’t go anywhere due to their high contract and quite frankly it would be stupid on Dallas’ behalf to get rid of them.

However, Dallas does have some players who are very talented and at the same time they are expendable. If Jones can work out trades for these five players, it would go a long way to improving not only the Cowboys’ cap situation, but it would also improve the teams involved in the trades.

5. Phil Costa

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When Dallas drafted Travis Frederick in the first round of this past year's NFL draft, it meant Phil Costa became expendable. If a team is looking to add depth to the interior portion of their offensive line, Costa could be a valuable trade asset.

4. Orlando Scandrick

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Monte Kiffin has brought his Cover 2 style defense to Dallas. However, up to this point in the season, it really hasn't been all that good. With Brandon Carr and Morris Caliborne lined up on the outside, that means Orlando Scandrick plays in the slot most of the time. Why should Jerry continue paying a high amount of money to a slot corner who doesn't make much of an impact on the Cowboys' defense?

3. Mackenzy Bernadeau

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If a 36-year-old can come out of retirement and take your starting job immediately, that likely means the team has no use for you. Brian Waters returned to the NFL and took Mackenzy Bernadeau's starting spot on the Cowboys' offensive line. Similar to Costa, why should Jones continue overpaying backups?

2. Kyle Orton

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Speaking of overpaying backups, Kyle Orton is another player who falls into that category. There are a few teams in need of a good starting quarterback and Orton could be that quarterback those teams are looking for. With Tony Romo ahead of him on the depth chart, there is almost no chance he sees time behind center for the Dallas Cowboys.

1. Miles Austin

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Austin can't really even be considered the No. 2 receiver in Dallas anymore. Rookie Terrance Williams has practically jumped him on the depth chart because Miles hasn't been on the field much due to injuries and quite frankly, Williams may be the better of the two talent wise as well. Cole Beasley can be a solid slot receiver for the Cowboys so Miles isn't needed there either. This all leads to the idea that Miles is expendable. Any team who needs an upgrade on the outside or in the slot should call about Austin and Jerry should seriously consider trading him.